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Astoria Re-berth: The Hull Story
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Our
regular readers will know that David's houseboat
studio Astoria is one of the best, and certainly
the most beautiful, of London's private recording
studios. Her hull was recently inspected and
deemed in need of renovation, so she was moved
to dry dock to have a complete steel hull replacement,
which should mean she lasts another 30-40 years
with no further major work. |
After the new hull was successfully fitted, she was
re-floated and towed back to her berth yesterday.
The photo above was taken by Astoria studio boss Phil
Taylor, and we have some more to view in Galleries.
The boat was built in 1911 for theatrical impresario
Fred Karno, who wanted to have the best houseboat
on the river, specifying that the deck should be able
to accommodate an entire 90-piece orchestra. David
bought Astoria in 1986 and has used it for recording
and mixing Pink Floyd and solo projects.
Filmmaker Gavin Elder was in attendance throughout
the hull replacement operations, so we hope to be
able to bring you the moving story in moving pictures
at some time in the future.
It's A July Judgement Day For Gary
July 14th is the date for the next step in the fight
to prevent the extradition of alleged hacker Gary
McKinnon. Gary's lawyer, Karen Todner, has announced
that Lord Justice Stanley Burnton and Mr Justice Wilkie
will decide on Tuesday 14th July whether Gary is to
be extradited to the US to face court proceedings
there.
In the event that the court dismisses the order then
it will be determined if the case should be tried
in the UK. There is a possibility that the whole case
could be dismissed, or even rebuilt from the start.
There are a lot of considerations, so it is conceivable
that the proceedings could be carried over into a
further day, which would have to be re-scheduled separately.
Gary McKinnon's New Review Due
A judicial review by Britain's high court of former Home Secretary
Jacqui Smith's handling of the Gary McKinnon extradition proceedings
took place in London this week. We are hopeful that new Home Secretary
Alan Johnson may review the case with a fresh approach, taking
into consideration the crucial medical evidence that Gary McKinnon
suffers from Asperger's syndrome, previously ignored.
A ruling is expected to be announced next week. |
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